Mehdi Taouil

Mehdi Taouil

Taouil playing for Kilmarnock
Personal information
Full name Mehdi Taouil
Date of birth (1983-05-20) 20 May 1983
Place of birth Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France
Height 172 cm (5 ft 7 12 in)
Playing position Attacking Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Nancy 8 (0)
2003–2005 1. FC Nuremberg 6 (0)
2005–2007 Montpellier 48 (3)
2007–2011 Kilmarnock 107 (5)
2011–2013 Heart of Midlothian 55 (2)
2013–2016 Sivasspor 63 (3)
National team
2004 Morocco 5 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 January 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 February 2010

Mehdi Taouil (Arabic: مهدي طويل) (born 20 May 1983 in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Val-de-Marne) is a French-born Moroccan football player who last played as an attacking midfielder in the Turkish superlig for Sivasspor.

Personal

Taouil was born in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France to a Moroccan father and an Algerian mother.[1]

Club career

During the early stages of his career he played for Nancy and 1. FC Nuremberg but was limited to only infrequent games.

Montpellier

Taouil played for Montpellier in Ligue 2, joining the club on a two-year contract in June 2005, before being released at the end of the 2006/07 season. During his time there he made 48 league appearances scoring three goals.

Kilmarnock

He then signed a one-year deal at Scottish side Kilmarnock in October 2007.[2] On his Kilmarnock debut he was warmly greeted by the fans in a 1–0 loss to Motherwell and was voted as Kilmarnock's Man of the Match. He scored his first goal in the game against Hibernian on 26 December 2007 at Rugby Park, which ended in a 2–1 victory for the Ayrshire side.

Taouil was linked with a transfer to SPL rivals Hearts, but in July 2008 he signed a three-year deal with Kilmarnock.[3] Following the release of Gary Wales, Taouil was given the number 10 shirt for the new season.

In all he made 118 appearances in all competitions scoring 7 goals for Kilmarnock.[4]

Hearts

Despite turning Hearts down in 2008 they again made approaches to sign him when he became a free agent in the summer of 2011 after his three-year contract with Kilmarnock came to an end.[5]

On Tuesday 14 June 2011, Taouil signed for Hearts on a three-year contract.[6] He opted to sign for the Gorgie outfit despite interest from the continent and team up with his former Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies.[7] Making his debut against Rangers at Ibrox on 23 July.[8] He scored his first goal for the club on 3 December, with a consolation goal in their 2–1 defeat to St Johnstone.[9]

Sivasspor

Mehdi Taouil signed a contract with Turkish Süper Lig side Sivasspor for the 2013/14 season.

International career

Taouil was part of the Moroccan national football team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Taouil played in all three games as the team exited in the first round, finishing third in Group D behind Iraq and Costa Rica.

Career statistics

As of 19 December 2012[4][10][11]
Club statistics
Club Season League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Kilmarnock 2007–08 22200000000222
2008–09 34311310000385
2009–10 27020200000310
2010–11 24010200000270
Total 1075417100001187
Heart of Midlothian 2011–12 24240101000302
2012–13 31010402000380
Total 55250503000682
Career total 14879110130001709

References

  1. Mehdi Taouil : "Revenir et porter les couleurs du Maroc"
  2. "Kilmarnock seal midfielder move". BBC Sport. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  3. "Taouil commits himself to Killie". BBC Sport. 3 July 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  4. 1 2 "Mehdi Taouil Stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. "Hearts in talks with Kilmarnock's Mehdi Taouil". BBC News. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  6. "Mehdi Taouil leaves Kilmarnock for Hearts". BBC News. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  7. "Taouil will be a big hit: JJ". Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  8. "Rangers v Hearts". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  9. "Hearts 1 – 2 St Johnstone". BBC Sport. BBC. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  10. "Mehdi Taouil Stats". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  11. Mehdi Taouil career statistics at Soccerbase
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